The mission of the Maritime College~State University of New York’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is to enhance the total student-athlete experience regardless of regimental or non-regimental affiliation by promoting opportunity, professionalism, equality amongst student-athletes and the College while fostering a positive student-athlete image necessary to achieve championship level athletics.

 

 

The SAAC shall consist of a maximum of 2 team representatives from each varsity athletic team, with all teams being represented.

 

 

It is recommended that junior and senior student-athletes from varsity teams act as SAAC representatives.  When necessary, underclass can/will be approved for membership. A student-athlete member shall not serve more than three years on the committee. Student-athletes may serve on the committee up to one year after completion of their intercollegiate athletics eligibility.

 

 

The SAAC will meet regularly as deemed by members and/or administrative supervisor.  Ideally, the committee will meet at a minimum once each month from September through December and February through April.  An agenda will be required for each meeting developed through a collaboration of the SAAC members, the administrative supervisor and/or the Director of Athletics.

Meetings will be designed to address departmental/campus wide issues such as departmental services, dining, academics, and community service.  Individual team needs or issues will/should be addressed to the athletic administrator and/or Athletic Director at appropriate times outside the meeting of the SAAC. 

 

 

Attendance is required for all SAAC meetings.  The inability to attend must be accompanied by appropriate notification to the committee sponsor and/or SAAC liaisons prior to the meeting.  Failure to attend regular meetings may subject the representatives term of office immediately.

 

 

A student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC) is a committee made up of student-athletes assembled to provide insight on the student-athlete experience. The SAAC also offers input on the rules, regulations and polices that affect student-athletes' lives on NCAA member institution campuses.

Presently, there are separate national SAACs for NCAA Divisions I, II and III. NCAA legislation mandates that all member institutions have SAACs on their respective campuses. Further, NCAA legislation requires that all member conferences have SAACs.

The information that follows will assist you in understanding how the network of SAACs, from individual campus committees to the conference and/or national committees, interact and support one another to shape intercollegiate athletics policy and enhance the student-athlete experience.

 

 

 

An Association-wide SAAC was adopted at the 1989 NCAA Convention and was formed primarily to review and offer student-athlete input on NCAA activities and proposed legislation that affected student-athlete welfare.

The initial national committee was comprised of student-athletes from all membership divisions for the purpose of ensuring that the student-athlete voice was one that accounted for the myriad of educational and athletics experiences of both female and male student-athletes at all NCAA member institutions. In August 1997, the NCAA federated along divisional lines. The federation caused the SAAC to expand to three SAACs representing NCAA Divisions I, II and III.

Each national divisional committee is comprised of both female and male student-athletes charged with the responsibility of assisting in the review of NCAA proposed legislation and representing the voice of the student-athlete in the NCAA governance structure. This is accomplished by providing student-athlete input on issues related to student-athlete welfare that are division-specific. (Federation has increased student-athlete participation in the governance process of intercollegiate athletics by increasing the number of SAAC members from the former Association-wide committee of 28 student-athletes to a sum total of 79 members serving on the national Divisions I, II, and III committees).

The input of the respective Divisions I, II and III SAACs continues to be sought by a variety of constituencies within the Association. Student-athlete committee members have the opportunity to speak with their respective NCAA Management Councils, and the Divisions II and III SAACs continue to speak to legislative issues on the NCAA Convention floor.

 

 

Each student-athlete shall have the right to be treated as a student, as an individual of worth, with both dignity and respect in all aspects of his or her athletics experience. The purpose of intercollegiate athletics is to provide the opportunity for the participant to develop his or her potential as a skilled performer in an educational setting.

This Commitment to Student-Athlete Excellence was developed in order to educate both the participant and the administrator on the opportunities of being both a student and an athlete.

The mission of the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee(SAAC) is to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity for all student-athletes; protecting student-athlete welfare; and fostering a positive student-athlete image, while maintaining the tenants of the Division III philosophy.

* The above information can be found on the NCAA Official Website.